How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Running more than 2,100 miles along America's eastern seaboard, through the serene and beckoning Appalachian Mountains, the AT is the granddaddy of long hikes. (1.1.2)
No matter how "serene and beckoning" those mountains might be, 2,100 miles of 'em will still leave you pooped. Bryson doesn't care too much about this, however—he's so focused on conquering the Appalachian Trail that he can't think about anything else. Still, he's about to get a rude awakening if he thinks that this thing will be a breeze.
Quote #2
Daniel Boone [...] described corners of the southern Appalachians as "so wild and horrid that it is impossible to behold them without terror." (1.4.4)
Daniel Boone was the Chuck Norris of his day—a truly fearsome dude who seemed like he could do anything. With that in mind, it's quite telling that even he was intimidated by the Appalachian Mountains, as this dude had seen his fair share of insane stuff in his time.
Quote #3
America is still to a remarkable extent a land of forests. One-third of the landscape of the lower forty-eight states is covered in trees. (1.4.8)
You could've have fooled us, because everywhere we go seems to be nothing but strip malls and fast food restaurants. As we learn over the course of A Walk in the Woods, however, America likes to keep its cities and countryside extremely separate—for better or worse.